I watched the SB with my 6 year old. I’m excited to share this with him. I grew up watching with my dad and trying to seem as interested as he was in it. But parenting is hard and big mainstream events like this are not always the easiest to navigate. 

The very first commercial was for Scream 6. We’ve been working on keeping scary images out of his head and dreams. I found myself wishing there was some sort of standards for what is shown and what isn’t during this time. But it’s a risk I knew I was taking. At some point was the MAHA commercial with Mike Tyson. I hoped my child didn’t absorb what was said including Tyson calling his younger self “fat and nasty.” I don’t want my child saying that to himself or others. I was definitely uncomfortable with the whole ad. But 15 seconds after it was done my child asked for an apple so he could try taking a big bite like Tyson did. The good part being he was inspired to eat healthy in that moment. The bad of course that I hope he didn’t internalize some of the other messaging. 

We watched Bad Bunny. Maybe it’s also a mix of those things, what I want him to see and hold on to, and other things I hope brush by him quickly. But we laughed and danced. He heard the joy of Spanish, which can be frustrating for him to learn sometimes. He heard Peru shouted out from the biggest show. He heard mommy singing loudly. He saw a whole world that looked different, although slightly familiar. The beauty of community and family coming together to celebrate life in so many different ways. 

I completely understand wanting options in these moments. It’s not easy and very far from perfect to invite a child into a grown up space like this. If there was a kid specific stream, we would have been tuned into that. Both things are true. There are other past performances I would not have kept turned on with my child in the room. I don’t judge if that was the case for you. 

It’s very human to have all these things be true at the same time. Life is complicated. This world is complicated. I hope we have the maturity to see that, accept it, and find how we want to fit into that. I hope even if you weren’t supportive of the halftime show itself that you see the joy and message behind it. Having the chance to learn new cultures and be welcomed into their ways of being has completely shaped my life for the better. I hope you allow the word around us to do the same for you. Connecting with each other and the deepest parts of what makes us who we are can be life affirming and the most profound expression of humanity.